Yasmin’s eyes were moving between Jack, Belle and Miles and Jack saw they were scheming as well but in an entirely different way.
“Yasmin,” Jack muttered with a warning note in his voice but Yasmin, as usual, ignored it and talked over him.
“We were, ages and ages ago. Now we’re just friends. Close friends but just friends. We’ve been friends for years. But we’re only friends,” Yasmin made herself perfectly clear and Jack felt Miles’s displeasure without having to look at him.
“So, you’re friends?” Belle mumbled her dry question and Jack chuckled.
As he did so, he saw her eyes on him held a hint of shocked pleasure before they quickly moved away.
“Yes,” Yasmin replied, amusement in her voice, her eyes on Belle. “By the way, Joy showed me the brooch you gave her. It’s stunning.”
Belle and Jack both looked at Yasmin.
“What brooch?” Jack asked.
“Joy told me that the girl Miles brought with him, Belle, obviously,” she nodded her head at Belle and then carried on, “bought her a brooch for her birthday. Very unusual, very gorgeous. I want one,” Yasmin replied throwing a smile toward Belle as Jack’s eyes moved to her as well.
She was, again, looking anywhere but him.
“You bought Mum a brooch?” he asked her and her eyes went to his ear.
“Yes,” she replied.
“It’s fantastic,” Miles put in, pulling Belle closer to his side and Jack watched her body grow visibly tense. “It’s from her shop in St. Ives.”
“I’ll have to visit your shop,” Yasmin told her.
Belle looked relieved to have an opportunity to move her gaze to Yasmin whom she gave a nod and another small smile. “I’d like that.”
“She made her dress,” Miles declared and Jack watched a becoming flush creep into Belle’s cheek as Miles went on. “The one she’s wearing tonight.”
“Miles,” she whispered, clearly embarrassed and equally clearly wanting him to shut up.
Miles ignored her and kept talking. “She designs clothes.” Miles’s eyes moved to Jack and his hand not wrapped around Belle’s waist came across his body. Holding his champagne glass, he flicked the ruffle at her collarbone with an extended finger. “Sexy little number, isn’t it?” he asked Jack.
“Miles!” Belle hissed with now obvious embarrassment as her body went solid.
“It’s lovely,” Jack murmured, wondering how angry his mother would be if he did physical injury to his brother at her birthday party before turning the conversation off Belle’s more than just lovely dress to something else. “Are you spending the weekend?”
Belle’s eyes came to his and he thought he saw a hint of gratitude at his change of topic before they moved swiftly away.
“Yes,” Miles stated, curling Belle possessively closer, his head bending in an openly intimate way toward hers, both actions gave his words more meaning. “We’re staying until Monday.”
His insinuation was not lost on anyone and Belle’s cheeks flamed.
“Joy tells me you’re in separate bedrooms,” Yasmin remarked, boldly calling Miles out on his nonverbal lie. Jack would have laughed but Belle’s eyes flew to Yasmin and she looked mortified.
She turned into Miles and tipped her head back. “You know,” she said softly but somewhat desperately. “I think I need to go fix my lipstick.”
It was clear she was desperate to escape.
Clear to everyone but Miles.
“Your lips are perfect, gorgeous,” Miles replied and Jack watched as something crossed her face. Even in profile he could see it and it looked like she flinched as if she’d been struck.
Jack found her look both stirring and upsetting.
He didn’t have time to try and understand this reaction, Yasmin moved forward.